Rangers ace aims to leave on a high

Tom Allnutt will play his final game in Crouch End Rangers’ blue and white this weekend at Hackney Marshes

CROUCH End Rangers stalwart Tom Allnutt is determined to finally clinch the only trophy that has so far eluded him before he emigrates to Spain next week.

The goalscoring midfielder is set to leave the country and begin a new job in Madrid. It means he will draw a line under four glittering years with the club as a result.

It just so happens that his final game in Rangers’ blue and white is the Camden Sunday League Challenge Cup final this weekend against Division One champions The Hurricanes, on the show pitch at Hackney Marshes.

Allnutt was instrumental in Rangers’ back-to-back title wins and also lifted a number of other trophies during his stint at the heart of midfield, but has never managed to get his hands on the elusive Challenge Cup.

Now he is adamant he will give it everything to ensure the underdogs come out on top this weekend. “Hurricanes have proven themselves to be the best team in the league, you only have to look at the table,” he said.

“But we know we can go there and cause an upset if we leave absolutely everything on the pitch. If we have a good day and they have a bad day, we might be able to take it to penalties maybe.

“Personally it is a big one for me as it is my last game for the club and I have to admit a defeat will put a huge dampener on my new life in Spain.

“Yes, I will be moving to one of the most vibrant and interesting cities in the world to begin my dream job
covering Real Madrid but, without that trophy, it will all be in vain.”

Allnutt helped fire Rangers into the final with a goal and an assist in their 2-1 semi-final win over Badu Sports FC.

He warmed up for this weekend’s showpiece clash with another goal against Cobden in the league on Sunday.

Rangers’ top brass had planned to retire Allnutt’s number eight shirt in honour of their departing hero, but realised that would not be logistically possible.

Manager Declan Taylor said: “Yeah, it would have been nice to do that, but we’ve only got 14 shirts and if we got rid of that one, we wouldn’t have enough left for the rest of the squad.

“One of the lads, Simon Collings, has decided to bake a cake for him instead, but he will throw it in the bin unless we win on Sunday.”